Pena’s Strong Start Leads Drive Past RiverDogs

2012-07-01T05:37:27Z2013-03-02T06:33:07Z

CHARLESTON, SC -

Miguel Pena pitched six solid innings for the Greenville Drive and got the win in his team's 5-3 victory over the Charleston RiverDogs in South Atlantic League action at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in front of 3,566 spectators on Saturday night.

Charleston's second straight loss leaves them with a record of 44-33 (5-5 in the second half). Greenville has taken the first two games of this five game series and they are now at .500 at 40-40 (6-4 in the second half) this season.

Patience at the plate paid off for the Drive in the second inning when they drew three walks off starting pitcher Matt Bashore (1-2). Bryan Johns (1-3, 2 RBI, run) took advantage of the free passes with a two-run single to right. After a third run scored on an error, Cody Koback lined an RBI single to right, staking Pena to an early 4-0 lead.

The RiverDogs got a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Kelvin De Leon, but that was all Pena (5-4) would allow. Pena threw six innings and allowed just one run on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

New RiverDogs reliever Nick Goody made his Charleston debut when he entered to start the seventh. The former LSU closer pitcher two scoreless innings and helped keep his team within striking distance.

In the seventh, Charleston pushed a run across against new pitcher Tyler Wilson on consecutive doubles by Ali Castillo and Ben Gamel (2-3, 2 RBI) to close within 4-2, but Greenville went back up by three with a run in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Boss Moanaroa (2-3, RBI, run). The RiverDogs got back within two in the ninth on another RBI double by Gamel, but couldn't pull any closer and Nathan Striz earned his first save for the Drive.